2007 Syrah

Production Notes

The 2007 Tablas Creek Vineyard Syrah is Tablas Creek’s fifth national release of this classic Rhone varietal. The wine displays the character of the Syrah grape exuberantly and elegantly, with classic flavors of bacon fat, wood smoke, blackberry and mineral, and should reward time in bottle to mature.

We use most of our Syrah as a part of our Esprit de Beaucastel and Côtes de Tablas blends each year. However, we believe that Paso Robles is one of the world's great environments for Syrah, and in favorable vintages we try to reserve some particularly classic barrels of Syrah for a single-varietal bottling.

The 2007 vintage was the best vintage we've yet seen at Tablas Creek. Yields were very low (down between 15% and 30%, depending on variety) due to a cold and very dry winter, which produced small berries and small clusters. A moderate summer without any significant heat spikes followed, allowing gradual ripening, and producing red wines with tremendous intensity, excellent freshness and a lushness to the fruit which cloaks tannins that should allow the wines to age gracefully. Syrah began the harvest of our reds on September 5th, with harvest continuing over the next month. Our final Syrah lot was harvested October 3rd.

Our Syrah grapes were grown on our 120-acre certified organic estate vineyard.

The Syrah grapes were destemmed and then fermented using native yeasts in small open-top stainless steel tanks. After two weeks, they were pressed, and moved to a balance of new and old French oak barrels to complete their fermentation. The wine was assembled in June of 2008, at which point we added a 10% Grenache for its lush, open fruit and higher acidity. The wine was aged for nearly another year in 1200-gallon foudres before being bottled in March 2009. The wine is unfined and unfiltered, and should be expected to throw a sediment over time.

Tasting Notes

The 2007 Syrah shows a dark, inky nose of soy, iodine, and black fruit with a little oak sneaking through. The mouth shows mineral, blackberry, iron and spice, with beautiful tannins and length. The long finish is still powerfully tannic, with a mineral, crushed rock component that reflects the vineyard's limestone soils. This is a wine for the long term: fifteen years or more.

Reviews

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Recipe Suggestions

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Food Pairings

  • Grilled steaks
  • Lamb
  • Cassoulet
  • Spicy sausages
Syrah

Not Available for Purchase

Blend

  • 90% Syrah
  • 10% Grenache

Technical Notes

  • 14.5% Alcohol by Volume
  • 685 Cases Produced

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